Cinematographic projectors or the like and cartridges for use therewith

ABSTRACT

A machine such as a cinematographic projector is convertible to accommodate either a film supply cartridge or an unenclosed film supply reel, such conversion being automatically accompanied by corresponding changes in the mode of operation of the machine. The machine has thereon a stripping mechanism adapted to separate the leading end of the film from a supply roll. The stripping mechanism includes a stripper member movable from a first location out of engagement with the roll to a second location in engagement with the outermost convolution on the roll, a drive member movable from a first position out of engagement with the roll to a second position in engagement with the roll, and means for sequentially moving the stripper member from the first location to the second location and then the drive member from the first position to the second position while the stripper member remains in the second location.

United States Patent John J. Bundschuh;

Robert J. Roman, Rochester, NY. 685,616

Nov. 24, 1967 Jan. 5, 1971 Eastman Kodak Company Rochester, N.Y.

a corporation of New Jersey lnventors Appl. No. Filed Patented AssigneeCINEMATOGRAPHIC PROJECTORS OR THE LIKE AND CARTRIDGES FOR USE THEREWITHPrimary Examiner-George F. Mautz Attorneys-Robert W. Hampton and JamesA. Smith ABSTRACT: A machine such as a cinematographic projector isconvertible to accommodate either a film supply cartridge or anunenclosed film supply reel, such conversion being automaticallyaccompanied by corresponding changes in the mode of operation of themachine. The machine has thereon a stripping mechanism adapted toseparate the leading end of the film from a supply roll. The strippingmechanism includes a stripper member movable from a first location outof engagement with the roll to a second location in engagement with theoutermost convolution on the roll, a drive member movable from a firstposition out of engagement with the roll to a second position inengagement with the roll, and means for sequentially moving the strippermember from the first location to the second location and then the drivemember from the first position to the second position while the strippermember remains in the second location.

PATENTED JAN 51% 3.552.683

SHEET 'DlUF 11 JOHN J BUNDSCHUH ROBERT J. ROMAN INVENTORS PATENTEDJAN5:971 8.552.683

sum OZUF 11 JOHN J. BUNDSCHUH ROBERT -J. ROMAN INVENTORS BY QMMce/QmPATENTEUJAH SIH'II 3,652,683

SHEET 03 [1F 3 1 E JOHN J. BUNDSCHUH 1 1 ROBERT J ROMAN E 1 FQGINVENTORS I I E W:

PATENTEDJAN 51971 3,552,683

SHEET BMW '11 JOHN \J. BUNDSCHUH ROBERT J. ROMAN INVENTORS BY 60M JOHN-J. BUNDSCHUH ROBER J. ROMAN JNVENTORS PATENTED JAN 5 |9n SHEET 08 [1Fmom Om m:

mm kw JOHN J: BUNDSCHUH ROBERT J. ROMAN lNVENTORS PATENTEDJAN Si Q" sumcam 11 JOHN J. BUNDSCHUH ROBERT J. ROMAN INVENTORS PATENTEU JAN 5 I971SHEET 0 3 BF PATENTEDJAN 51971 3,552,683

SHEET 10 OF H JOHN J. BUNDSCHUH ROBERT J. ROMAN INVENTORS BY QMQPATENTEDJAN 51% 3,552,683

SHEET 11 [1F 11 JOHN J. BUNDSCHUH ROBERT J. ROMAN INVENTORS BY gem MU MCINEMATOGRAPHIC PROJECTORS OR THE LIKE AND CARTRIDGES FOR USE THEREWITIIBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates principally toequipment such as cinematographic projectors or tape transducers adaptedto be loaded with supply rolls of elongate strip material, andparticularly to such equipment which'is convertible to accommodate suchsupply rolls either in the form of unenclosed reels or in the form ofcartridges.

To simplify the use of equipment of the type mentioned above,considerable attention has been directed toward providing means wherebyequipmentcan be threaded automatically upon being loaded with a supplyroll housed within a cartridge; thereby facilitating the handling andstorage of the supply rolls and eliminating manual threading operations.

A cartridge-loaded selflthreading cinematographic projector system whichis generally representative of the aforementioned type of equipment, andwhich includes a film stripping and threading mechanism and otherprojector and cartridge features related to those incorporated in theillustrative preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosedin commonly assigned copending Pat. application Ser'. No. 643,502,entitled cinematographic Cartridge Projector Apparatus, filed in thenames of John J Bundschuh, Robert J. Roman and Kenneth W. Thompsonon-Jun. 5, 1967. In this construction, a film supply roll wound onto ahub member is housed within a cartridge provided with axial openingsthrough which the hub member can be rotatably supported and driven by afilm supply spindle member when the cartridge is operatively positionedon the projector. With the cartridge so positioned on the projector,the=film roll is radially accessible to a stripping mechanismmovableinto temporary engagement with the roll through another cartridgeopening; such mechanism being adapted to separate the leading end of thestrip from the roll and to feed it-along a predetermined threading path.I

Further details and features of this general type of film stripping andthreading mechanism and of film supply cartridges adapted for usetherewith are also'disclosed in related U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,518 whichissued from Fat. application Ser. No. 706,703 which is a continuation ofPat. application Ser. No. 470,499, entitled Automatic Film Stripper,filed in the name of Edward S. McKee on Jul. 8, 1965; and Pat.application Ser. No. 643,503, entitled Cartridge for Reel of StripMaterial, filed in the names of John J. Bundschuh and Kenneth W.Thompson on Jun. 5, i967.

By employing means of the type disclosed in the aboveidentifiedapplications, it is therefore possible to provide projectors or relateddevices capable of being loaded or unloaded almost instantaneously by anunskilled operator, and if desired, to provide additional means whichallow the device to function entirely automatically from the, time thecartridge is loaded thereon and the projection cycle is initiated untilsuch time as the cartridge is again fully rewound following completionof the machine cycle. Furthermore, the adoption of such a system need inno way preclude the employment of other refinements, such as means in acinematographic projector for allowing the film to be projected eitherforwards or backwards at an adjustable rate of speed or for allowing itto be partially rewound to permit a desired film sequence to berepeated.

In spite of the foregoing advantages, however, presently known machinesof this type are not entirely suitable for applications in which bothcartridges and conventional supply reels may be appropriate fordifferent purposes. Although equipment has previously been developed forthe purpose of overcoming this disadvantage, the means employed thereinto allow a cartridge loaded machine to-also accommodate conventionalreels have sacrificed operating convenience as well SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to overcomethose limitations previously associated with self-threading cartridgesystems by allowing machines incorporating such systems to be loadedconveniently with supply cartridges of different sizes and also withsupply reels, without sacrificing the convenience or performancecapabilities of such machines in either mode of operation thereof.Briefly, this objective is accomplished through the cooperation ofseveral novel innovations, including; the employment of means forsupporting cartridges of different sizes in predetermined relation tothe stripping mechanism and to the supply spindle drive member engagedwith the supply roll hub members within the cartridges; adapting thesupply spindle assembly to be movable to either a position at which thatassembly supports and drives the supply roll within a supply cartridgeloaded onto the machine, or to another position atwhi'ch-a' supply reelcan be accommodated by the spindle assembly without interference withthe stripping mechanism; and providing means whereby the leading end ofthe strip material on a supply reel can be threaded manually into themachine in convenient manner.

Due to the substantially greater amount of strip material that can beaccommodated by supply reels as compared to supply cartridges,considerations of maximum roll diameter, and momentum require changes inthe mode of operation of the machine according to whether the materialis supplied from a reel or from a cartridge. In the case of acinematographic projector, for example, the use of a film supply reeldictates the employment of film tension control means which areincompatible with maintaining the film within corresponding tensionlimitations while a cartridge is being used. Similarly, the possibilityof rewinding the film into a supply cartridge through the film gatebecomesimpractical in conjunction with the use of a film supply reel,which preferably should be rewound directly from the film takeup reel.In view of these and other related considerations, the subject inventiontherefore also includes means forautomatically adjusting variousmechanisms of a projector or analogous machine to perform in accordancewith the requirements imposed by the type of supply roll unit with whichthe machine is loaded.

In addition to the above-mentioned relatively basic features, theillustrated preferred embodiment ofthe invention also comprises numerousother refinements and improvements of previously known projectorcomponents or assemblies, .many of such improvements and refinementsbeing equally applicable to other types of projectors or analogousmachines.

These and other important objects and features encompassed by theinvention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description of a cinematographic projector systemcomprising an illustrative preferred embodiment thereof, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings in which like reference charactersdenote like elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS and the film supply spindle arm when theprojector is conas desirable features or functional characteristicswhich would be available by the use of two separate machines.

verted to accommodate such reels;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the projector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the projector illustrated I inFIGS. 1 and 2, showing a film supply reel supported by the raised filmsupply spindle arm;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of the film cartridge shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 and of the portion of the projector which cooperates withthe cartridge to locate and support the latter in loaded position;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the opposite side of the portion of theprojector shown in FIG. 4, depicting the mechanism by which thecartridge is re'leasably latched in loaded position; I

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along the line6-6 of FIG. 5, illustrating the manner in which the cartridge isreleasably retained 'in loaded position by the latch members shown inFIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates the profile of. an alternate film cartridge, viewedfrom the same direction as the cartridge shown in FIG. 1 but adapted toaccommodate a smaller roll of film;

FIG. 8 corresponds to an enlarged portion of FIG. 1, partiallycross-sectioned and broken away and supplemented with phantom views todepict the positions of various elements of the film stripping andthreading mechanism of the subject projector; 7

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional front view of the camshaft assembly employedto operate various elements of the projector;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the film guide andsnubber structure shown in FIG. 8, taken along the line 10-10 of thatFIG.;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the portion of the projector shown inFIG. 8, taken from inside the projector to show the arrangement ofinternally located components of the control assembly and the filmstripping and threading mechanism;

FIG. 12 is a partially cross-sectioned rear elevational view of the filmstripping and threading mechanism and of the control assembly shown inFIGS. 8 and 'l 1';

FIG. 13 is a view from the same viewpoint as FIG. 11, depicting therelative positions assumed by the various illustrated elements of thefilm stripping and threading mechanism and of the control assembly priorto or following completion of the film stripping and threading phase ofthe operating cycle of the projector;

FIG. 14 corresponds to FIG. 13 and shows the relative positions of theillustrated elements during the film stripping and threading phase ofthe operating cycle with the projector adapted to accommodate a filmcartridge;

FIG. 15 corresponds to FIGS. 13 and 14 and shows the relative positionsof the illustrated elements during the film stripping and threadingphase of the operating cycle with the projector adapted to accommodate afilm supply reel;

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the principal components ofthe film gate and film pulldown mechanism and of the actuating deviceemployed to open and close the film gate and to adjust the film windingand rewinding mechanism at appropriate times during the operation of theprojector;

FIG. 17 is a somewhat schematic top plan view of a portion of thestructure shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of a portion of the structure shownin FIG. 16, showing the relative positions of the illustrated componentswhen the film'ga'te is in a closed condition;

FIG. 19 corresponds to FIG. 18 and depicts the relative positions of theillustrated components when the film gate is in an open condition;

FIG. 20 is a somewhat schematic right side elevational view of theprojector, illustrating the driving'and shifting means as sociated withthe film winding and rewinding mechanism;

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG.20;

FIG. 22 is a partially cross-sectioned rear elevational view of the filmtakeup spindle assembly and of the shifter bar connected thereto; and

FIG. 23 is a partially cross-sectioned rear elevational view of the filmsupply spindle assembly and of portions of the adjusting membersassociated therewith.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION To summarize the illustrated preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, without regard to specific structural andoperational details hereinafter explained in detail, reference is firstmade only to FIGS. l3. From these three FIGS., it is apparent that theprojector comprises a generally rectilinear casing member 11 including ahousing 12 which extends laterally toward the right side of theprojector and supports a forwardly facing projection lens assembly 13.To simplify subsequent explanations of the projector apparatus, the sideof the projector shown in FIG. 1 will be referred to throughout thefollowing disclosure as the right side and references to right or leftmovement of laterally movable projector elements will be made in thesame sense unless'otherwise. specified. Correspondingly, the termsfront? and -ba,ck" and forward" and rearward will be used throughoutthedisclosure-with reference to the front of the projector, as shown inFIG. 8. Similarly, references to clockwise or counterclockwise rotationof various elements of the projectorjmechanism will be made from theviewpoint of either FIG. 1 onFIG. 3.

Above housing 12, rotatable takeup reel drive member 14 extends beyondvertical wall member 15 in coaxial alignment with a corresponding pulleymember, which rotates constantly in a clockwise direction duringoperation of the projector. Drive member 14 is adapted to receive eithera relatively small film takeup reel, as shown at 16 in FIGS. 1- and 2,or a larger takeup reel shown at 17 in FIG. 3 and in broken lines inFIG. 1. A similar rotatable drive member 18 likewise extends beyond wallmember 15 throughmechanism plate 19 in coaxial alignment with anotherpulley member which is constantly rotated in a counterclockwisedirection.-This drive member is carried by support arm 21, which ismovable about shaft 22 between the lower position shown in solid linesin F [G8 1 and 2 and the raised position shown in broken lines in FIG. 1and in solid lines in FIG. 3.

With the arm in its lower position, reel drive member 18 is adapted toreceive a film reel, housed within a cartridge loaded onto the projectoras shownat 23. To accommodate the film 24 supplied by such a cartridge,the film takeup reel 16 can be of a size' generally equivalent .to' thesize of the cartridge as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the arm is in itsraised position, however, substantially larger conventional uninclosedfilm supply and takeup reels can' be installed on the respective drivemembers 18 and '14, thereby allowing greater lengths of film to beprojected without interruption. To distinguish between conventionaluninclosed film supply reels and film supply reels housed in filmcartridges, the latter reels will hereinafter be referred to as spools.Thus, the term reel mode of operation will be understood to refer to theoperation of the projector with a film supply reel mounted on the raisedsupport arm, as opposed to the term' cartridge mode of operation, whichrelates to theus'e of the projector employing a film supply cartridgealigned with drive member the lowered support arm.

CARTRIDGE MODE OF OPERATION latched in place with the cartridge spool incoaxial driving engagement with drive member 18. During this phase ofthe projectors operating cycle, drive member 18 is positively connectedto the corresponding pulley member so that the car tridge spool isrotated in a counterclockwise direction, tending to maintain the film ina tightly would condition thereon.

To initiate the film stripping and threading operation, the

operator manually depresses ear 26 to a position in which it isreleasably retained by a latch mechanism. This causes stripper finger 27to enter the slotted baseportion of the cartridge and thereafter movesstripper belt member 28 in a counterclockwise direction about shaft29;to bring stripper belt 30 into contact with the periphery of the rollof film on the film supply spool. Concurrently, drive-member 18 isreleased from driving connection with the rotating pulley member so thatthe cartridge film spool can rotate freely. correspondingly, drivemember 14 is coupled to its pulley member through a frictional clutchadapted to slip under a torque load proportional to the weight of thetakeup reel, as determined partially by the amount of film woundthereon. I

As described in the above-identified US. Pat. No. 3,429,5 l 8, thestripper belt is constantly driven in a counterclockwise direction.Therefore, its peripheral engagement with the film supply roll rotatesthe film roll in a clockwise direction. Accordingly, the leading end ofthe film is separated from the roll by thestripper finger and isdelivered out of the cartridge through a narrow guide path definedbetween a portion of the stripper belt and'an adjacent edge of thestripper finger.

As the leading end of the film emerges beyond the path defined betweenthe stripper belt and the stripper finger, it enters a curved guidechannel established between stationary film guide member 31 and movablesnubber member 32, which is pivotable downwardly about pin 33 but biasedtemporarily into firm resilient engagement with the guide member duringthe stripping and threading operation. This curved guide channel directsthe leading end of the film downwardly into engagement by the filmadvancing mechanism of the projector, whereby it is advancedintermittently past a projection position aligned with the projectorsoptical system. Beyond the film gate, the leading end of the filmproceeds into a pivotally supported channel member 34 which delivers itinto contact with the hub of takeu'preel 16. As is well known in theprojector art, the hub of the takeup reel is provided with a pluralityof teeth adapted to engage the edge perforations in the film, 'wherebythe film is automatically attached to the hub upon being brought intocontact therewith.

When the film hasbeen engaged by the film advancing mechanism, itspresence at a predetermined location is dey tected by an appropriatesensing device which then allows ear 26 to return to its initialposition, thereby initiating the projection phase of the operatingcycle. This causes the stripper finger and the stripper belt members toretract from the cartridge to their respective positions shown in FIG. 1and releases the snubber member for downward pivotable movement aboutpin 33 against the influence of leaf spring 35, so that the snubberthereafter serves to stabilize the film tension between the gate and thesupply reel in the manner well known in the prior art.

As the film is being projected, it can be stopped and displayed inreverse by manually moving control lever 36 from its illustrated raised(forward) position to an extreme downward (reverse) position.Additionally, the projector is provided with a review mechanism by meansof which the operator can rewind and then reproject any desired portionof the film by manually moving control lever '37 to a rearward positionto temporarily actuate the film rewinding mechanism.

The inner end of the roll of film 24 on the film supply spool within themagazine is attached to' 'the core of the spool. Therefore, when all ofthe available film has been unwound from the cartridge, the resultingtightening of the film between the gate and the spool causes the snubbermember to pivot downwardly to a position in whichtrigger lever 38 isengaged and depressed by shoe member 39.on the snubber member. Suchdepression of the trigger member initiates the rewind phase of theprojectors operating cycle by opening the gate and withdrawing the filmpulldown claw therefrom, by reestablishing positive rewindingrotation ofdrive member 18, and by releasing drive member 14 from the correspondingpulley member to allow the takeup reel to rotate freely as film isunwound therefrom. Thus, the film is automatically rewound entirely intothe cartridge through the film gate, whereupon the rewound cartridge canbe removed from the projector Reel Mode of Operation To convert theprojector to accommodate a conventional film supply reel 40 on drivemember 18, arm release car 41 is moved forwardly against the resistanceof spring 42, thereby withdrawing latch tooth 43 from opening 44 in thecurved front wall member 45 of arm 21, (FIGS. and 21). Due to thelocation of ear 4], it is inaccessible whenever a cartridge is loadedonto the projector, thereby preventing the arm from being released fromits lowered posit-ion until the cartridge has been removed. Uponreleasing the latch, the arm can be moved to its previously describedraised position where it is releasably retained by the reception of thelatch tooth within a second opening 46 in wall member 45. Such movementof the arm automatically readjusts the film supply spindle assembly toestablish frictional engagement between drive member 18 and the relatedpulley member through a drive unit corresponding to the one employedwith the takeup reel, whereby the torque applied to the drive member isproportional to the weight of reel 40 supported thereon.

Since the internal structure of the film cartridge comprises essentialelements of the film ,stripping means described above, that mechanism isineffective when supply reel 40 is mounted on drive member l8.Therefore,when the operator now depresses ear 26, the stripper finger and thestripper belt member remain in their respective inoperative positionsshown in FIG. 1. However, a guide roller 47, which remained in theinoperative position shownin FIG. 1 during the abovedescribed mode ofoperation, now moves automaticallyv into contact with the constantlymoving stripper belt 30. Thus, when theoperator manually removes theleading end of the reel loaded film 48 from the supply reel and insertsit in the nip 5 between the drive belt and the roller, the stripper beltserves to drive the film through the guide channel between guide member31 and the temporarily immovable snubber member 32, whereby the end ofthe film is threaded through the gate and attached to the takeup reel aspreviously described. Upon the release of ear 26, guide roller'47retracts to its' inoperative position and the snubber memberis releasedso that the pro.- jection phase of the operation cycle can proceed, asrelated above.

During the projection of film 48', the projector can be ad-' justedmanually by means of lever 37 to display the film either forwards orbackwards. l-lowever,- since the projector is not adapted to rewind thefilm through the film gate except when loaded with a film cartridge, thefilm review mechanism is rendered inoperative when the film supplyspindle arm is in its raised position.

In this mode of operation, the film is not attached to the supply reel.Upon completion of the projection phase, therefore, the trailing end ofthe filmstrip will have been separated from the film supply reel andwound onto the film takeup reel, and must be reattached manually to thesupply reel in order to be rewound thereon. When this has beenaccomplished, the film supply spindle assembly is manually adjusted toestablish positive driving connection between the film supply reel andthe corresponding pulley member; thus causing the supply reel to rewindthe film by overpowering the opposing torque frictionally applied to thetakeupreel. When the rewinding operation has been completed, the supplyspindle assembly is manually readjusted to reestablish the weightsensitive frictional engagement of the supply reel with the pulleymember, whereupon the supply reel can be removed from the projector andreplaced to prepare the projector for another operating cycle. If arm 21is moved to its lower position to convert the projector to its cartridgemode of operation before the film supply spindle assembly has been thusmanually readjusted, the lowering of the arm automatically accomplishesthis result to insure proper subsequent functioning of the apparatus.

Film Cartridge and Mounting Means The illustrated film cartridge usedwith the subject projector member 49 which cooperates with a removabletop cover member 50 to define an internal compartment adapted tosubstantially enclose a film spool 51. From the generally flat base 52of the cartridge, side walls 53 and 54 extend upwardly and joinsemicylindrical side wall members 55 and 56, which cooperate with thesimilarly curved top wall member 57 of the cover member to laterallyenclose the film spool. As shown at 58, a vertical slot extends upwardlythrough the base portion of the cartridge and into the spool compartmentto allow access to the film roll by the stripper finger and the stripperbelt member. The trailing end of the strip of film wound onto the filmspool is attached to the hub 59 thereof by means of a pin adapted towedge the end of the film in a corresponding hole extending axially intothe hub. The head of the pin, shown at 61, projects beyond thecorresponding face of the film spool and into an enlarged opening 62 inthe face of the cartridge viewed in FIG. 4. This feature of theillustrated cartridge is disclosed and claimed in commonly assignedcopending Pat. ap-

plication Ser. No. 685,597, entitled Cartridge and Reel Alignment Means,filed in the name of Arthur H. Crapsey on Nov.

24, I967. Thus, the pin serves not only to attach the film to the reelhub, but also serves to insure proper orientation of the spool in thecartridge by virtue of the fact that it can be accommodated freelywithin opening 62, but not within the smaller opening 63 (FIG. 7) intheopposite end wall of the cartridge.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the face ofthe cartridge adapted to be positioned adjacent the mechanism plate whenthe cartridge-is in its loaded position is provided with a rib structurecomprising a pair of parallel vertical ribs 65 and 66 extendingoutwardly from that face and joined by a similar transverse rib 67partially encircling opening 62. The corresponding portion of theprojector mechanism plate'19 is also illustrated in FIG. 4 and includesa recess 68 adapted to mate closely with the rib, structure of thecartridge.

Accordingly, when the cartridge is properly located in loaded positionadjacent the mechanism plate, the cartridge rib structure is receivedsnuggly within the corresponding recess of the mechanism plate, thuslaterally immobilizing the magazine and insuring that the film spool iscentered therein when the axial bore 69 of the film spool is in matingengagement with drive member 18. At the bottom of recess 68 in themechanism plate, a plurality of coplanar positioning pad members 71 areadapted to engage corresponding face surfaces of the cartridge ribstructure to locate the loaded cartridge in parallel relation to themechanism plate with the film spool in alignment with the film takeupreel and with other film engaging elements of the projector.

To releasably retain the cartridge in its loaded position, latch levers72 and 73 are pivotally attached to the interior face of the mechanismplate by studs 74 and 75, as shown in FIG. 5. At their diagonallyopposed ends, the latch levers define latch ears 76 and 77 extendingthrough corresponding openings 78 and 79 in the mechanism plate. Aspring 81 attached between the latch levers applies a resilientclockwise force to both levers (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG.thereby urging the latch ears into overlapping relation to the adjacentportions of recess 68. As the cartridge ribs 65 and 66 enter recess 68during the installation of the cartridge, the sloped end faces 82 and 83of ears 76 and 77 are engaged respectively by correspondingly slopedface surfaces 84 and 85 of ribs 65 and 66, thereby camming the earsoutwardly against the influence of spring 81. When the cartridge hasbeen moved sufficiently to bring the rib structure intoseatingengagement with positioning pads 71, however, cars 76 and 77 arereceived respectively in corresponding cartridge openings 86 and 87extending inwardly beyond ribs 65 and 66, thereby allowing the ears tobe moved into latching engagement with the adjacent internal ribsurfaces by spring 81, as shown in FIG. 6. Hence, it will be apparentthat the cartridge is held in positive contact with the positioningpads'by the latch ears and is prevented from moving laterally by themating engagement of the cartridge rib structure with recess 68 in thecartridge plate.

FIG. 4 also depicts a rib member 88 extending forwardly from themechanism plate and corresponding to the profile of the base portion ofthe cartridge. Thisstructure serves to facilitate the alignment of thecartridge ribs with recess 68 during the cartridge loading operation andalso provides a film guide channel 89. It should be noted, however, thatthe adjacent lateral surfaces of rib member 88 and the cartridge arespaced slightly apart when the'cartridge'is in loaded position toprevent interference with the accurate orientationof the cartridge bythe reception of the cartridge ribs in recess 68.

To remove the cartridge from the projector, latch release ear 90 ismanually depressed to rotate latch lever 72 in a counterclockwisedirection, against the influence of spring 81, whereby the opposite end91 of lever 72 displaces lever 73 in the same rotational direction byengagement with lip 92. Accordingly, both latch ears are withdrawn fromlatching engagement with the cartridge ribs, as shown in broken lines inFIG. 6. r

Since the accurate location of the film cartridge relative to theprojector is determined entirely by the cartridge rib structure ratherthan by peripheral surfaces of the cartridge, different cartridges withdissimilar peripheral dimensions can be employed without sacrificingaccurate cartridge orientation.

For example, FIG. 7 illustrates a profile of an alternate cartridge 93that might be substituted for the one shown in FIGS. 4, et al. suchcartridge being adapted to accommodate only'a relatively small filmspool. As represented in phantom lines, the face of cartridge 93opposite the one illustrated is of course provided with locating ribssubstantially identical to those of the cartridge shown in FIG.'4.

Since only two latch ears areprovided by the latch mechanism illustratedin FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, it will be seen that sloped surfaces 94 and 95 andthe corresponding cartridge openings 96 and 97 are superfluous to theparticular arrange} ment depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5; these additionallatching means being provided in the cartridge to allow its employmentwith projectors having additional or differently arranged latching ears.A 4

Film Stripping Mechanism The film stripping mechanism employed in thesubject projector is of the same general type described in theaboveidentified pending Pat. application Ser. Nos. 470,499, 643,502 and643,503, and embodies many of the novelfeatures covered by thesedisclosures in combination with further improvements hereinafterdescribed.

Stripper Finger of cam plate 107 mounted on the mechanism plate bypedestals 108. This roller assists in maintaining arm 103 in parallelrelation with the mechanism plate as the arm is rotated about stud 104to move sleeve along slot 10l ..-By this arrangement, the stripperfinger is also maintained in parallel relation with the mechanism-plateand in alignment with the film roll-l09 on the film spool within theloaded car tridge 23, and is movable into contact with the roll throughcartridge slot 58.

Stripper Belt Member As shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, the stripper beltmember 28 in-. cludes a drive pulley 111 attached to the external end ofshaft 29, which constantly rotates in a counterclockwise direction. Thedrive pulley is straddled by elongate side plates 112iand- 113vertically aligned with the cartridge .film roll and pivotally!supported at one end by rotating shaft 29. Between the side- StrippingOperation When stripper arm 103 has been moved to its operative positionin response to depression of car 26, by the control mechanism which willbe separately described in detail, pin

. 102 is located as shown at l02a. Therefore,'.the engagement of tooth117 of the stripper finger with the periphery of the film roll by meansof spring 118 causes, the stripper finger 27 to assume anoperative'position determined by the size of the film roll. Similarly,when the same control mechanism pivots stripper belt member 28 upwardlyinto resilient contact with the film roll, its operative position willalso be determined by i the size of the film roll. For example, in FIG.8,-a relatively small film roll is illustrated in solid lines at 109,with the periphery of a larger roll being represented 'by broken line1090. In like manner, the respective operative positions of the stripperfinger and the stripper belt member in engagement with roll 109 areshown in broken lines at 27a and 28a, with the corresponding positionsof the same members engaged with roll 1090 being depicted at 27b and2811. From this illustration, it is apparent that the lower edge 119 offinger 27 is generally tangential to the film roll and in spacedsubstantially parallel relation to the adjacent portion of the stripperbelt, regardless of the size of the film roll. Thus, as the roll isdriven in a clockwise direction by the belt, the leading end of the filmis separated from the roll by the toothof the stripper finger and isdriven into guide channel 89 along a path established between the beltand the adjacentlower edge of the stripper finger. Due to the closeadjacency. of the edge of the stripper finger to the belt, this filmpath-is sufficiently narrow to prevent buckling and possible damage tothe film therealong in the event that the movement of such film isblocked at some point beyond that path.

Cam Plate 1 to be maintained in firm resilient contact with the filmroll in counterclockwise relation toystripper arm 103 about the axis ofpin 102 by spring 118. However,'it should also be apparent that thetooth of the stripper finger must not initially engage the film'roll atan angle that would block movement of the finger to its operativeposition. Also, the path of movement of the finger must be such as toavoid interferring engagement with adjacent membersof the projector, e.g. with guide roller 47. To meet these requirements, a cam follower arm121 is attached to sleeve 100 in fixed angular relation to the stripperfinger and includes a cam follower lip 122 adapted to engage curved edgesurface 123 of cam plate 107 under the influence of spring 118. Thus,the cooperation of lip 122 with curved cam surface 123 determines thecounterclockwise rotation of the stripper finger relative to thestripper arm in ac- 1 cordance with the angular position of the stripperarm during its rotational movement about stud 104, Consequently, priorto engagement with the film roll,' th'e tooth of the finger memberfollows the path shown in broken lines at 124. Accordingly, regardlessof the size of the film roll, it is encountered by the tooth at an anglesuch that further movement of the stripper arm can move the finger intoits operative position by sliding the tooth along the 3mm roll at anacute angle thereto.

During the sliding movement of the tooth along the roll, the tooth isrotated in clockwise relation to the stripper arm against the influenceof spring 118. As a result, the cam follower arm is also pivoted awayfrom cam surface 123 to'a position as illustrated at 121a or 121b,thereby allowing the tooth without interference from the camarrangement.

Guide Roller Guide roller 47 is rotatably supported in alignment withstripper belt member 28 by a shaft 131 extending through an arcuate slot132 in the mechanism plate as shown in FIG. 8..

Shaft 13], in turn, is attached to a roller lever 133, shown in FIGS.11-15, which is pivotally supported by pivot stud' 134. Accordingly, theroller is movable between an inoperative and an operative position, asshownrespectively in solid and broken lines in FIG. 8, in response tocorresponding movemerit of lever 133 by the hereinafter describedcontrol mechanism.

When the projector is loaded with a film cartridge, the cormember aredisabled from moving from their respective inoperative positions and therolleris allowed to move to its operative position in response todepression of car 26. In this position, the roller is resilientlyengaged with moving stripper belt 30, so that the manual insertion :ofthe end of the film 48 on the supply reel into the nip of roller 47 andbelt 30 causes the film to be driven into guideehannel 89 by the'belt,until the roller is subsequently returned to its inoperativeposition bythe control mechanism upon upward movement of ear 26. I

Film Guide and Snubber Still referring principally to FIG. '8, it willbeseen that film guide member 31 is rigidly attached to the exteriorsurface'of I the mechanism plate by rivets 142 and pivotally supportssnubber member 32, which is attached to the. guide member by pivot pin33. As shown in FIG..10, the respective lower and upper surfaces of theguide member and the snubber member cooperate to define a film guidepassageway 144 when the snubber is pivoted upwardly against the guidemember, as illustrated. At the end of these two members adjacent filmguide channel 89 on the mechanism plate, the surfaces defining the filmpassageway diverge to form a tapered throat 145, in alignment with thatchannel Accordingly, as the leading end of the film emerges from theguide channel under the influence of the stripper belt, it is pushedthrough passageway 144, and thereby delivered downwardly into the filmgate.

Leaf spring 35 is attached to the mechanism plate by a rivet 146 andbears upwardly against lug 147 on the snubber member to resiliently urgethe snubber member into its depicted position adjacent guide member 31.Thus, during the projection of the film the snubber member serves tostabilize the tension of the portion of film between the film gate andthe supply reel or spool by moving downwardly againstthe in fiuence ofspring 35 in response to momentary increases in such tension; similardevices being well known in the projector art. To be effective for thispurpose, however, the snubber member must be capable of beingpivotedaway from the guide member quite easily. For that reason, the upwardforce exerted on the snubber by spring 35 isinsufficient to insure thatthe snubber will remain in contact with the guide member to preserve theclosed passageway as the film is being fed therethrough by the stripperbelt. Therefore, lug 147 ispromovement is controlled by one or moresprocket members in which case the snubber member would not be needed asa tension regulating device and could remain in its raised position.

FIG. 8 also illustrates the previously mentioned shoe member 39extending downwardly from the snubber member above trigger lever 38,which projects through slot 151 in the mechanism plate. The purpose ofthis shoe is to depress the trigger lever to initiate the film rewindingphase of operation when the snubber member is moved to its lowermostposition by the increase in film tension accompanying withdrawal of allof the available film from the film magazine loaded onto the projector.

CAM CONTROL MECHANISM Cam Drive Means The cam control mechanism of thesubject projector is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 9 and 1215. Thecentral element of this mechanism is shaft 29, which extends freelythrough the bore of a multiple lobe cam member 156 located between themechanism plate and support plate 157. The support plate is mountedrigidly to the mechanism plate by pedestals as indicated at 158 in FIG.12 and rotatably supports sleeve portion 159 of the cam member, which iskeyed to disc member 161 beyond the support plate by a drive key shownat 162. At the opposite end of'the cam member shaft 29 is rotatablysupported in the mechanism plate by bushing 163 attached to elongateside plate 112 of the stripper belt member 28. At the external end ofthe shaft, beltdrive pulley 111 is attached thereto between the sideplates 112 and 113 of the stripper belt member, as shown in FIG/ 12.

Throughout the operation of the projector, shaft 29 is rotatedconstantly in a counterclockwise direction by spur gear 164 attached tothe internal end of the shaft and meshed with a smaller spur gear 165rotatably supported on stub shaft 166 and driven by pulley 167 through adrive belt mechanism described below with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21.

To'rotate the cam member intermittently with shaft 29, a dog member 168is pivotally mounted to disc member 161 by a pin'169 and is biased byspring 171 to urge dog ear 172 toward engagement with the multipletoothed peripheral surface of hub member 173 of gear 164, as bestillustrated by FIGS. 11 and 12. Thus, when the dog ear is receivedbetween two of the teeth of the constantly rotating hub member 173, thecam member is coupled positively to shaft 29 for rotation therewith.

In order to engage and disengage the cam member from shaft 29, a clutchoperating lever 174 is pivoted to support plate 157 by pin 175 and isurged upwardly by spring 176 to bias lower lever ear 177 into contactwith the periphery of disc member 161. In this position, lever ear 177is adapted to be engaged by lip 178, which extends beyond disc 161 fromdog member 168, thereby holding dog ear 172 out of engagement with hubmember 173 and allowing the cam to remain at a stationary initialposition as shaft 29 rotates. When ear 26 is depressed manually to thebottom of mechanism plate opening 179, however, ear 177 is moveddownwardly beyond lip 178 as the upper lever ear 18'0 simultaneouslymoves downwardly into contact with disc 161 as shown in broken lines inFIG. 11. Accordingly, the dog member immediately pivots about pin 169under the influence of spring 171 to engage ear 172 with hub member 173thereby coupling the cam member to shaft 29. As soon as the cam hasrotated through an angle of approximately 120, however, thecorresponding rotation of disc 161 brings lip 178into contact with levercar 180, whereupon the cam member is again immobilized at itsintermediate position by the disengagement of the dog ear from the hubmember. As shown at 181, a spring loaded pivotal latch member is adaptedto retain lever 174 temporarily'in' its depressed position by engagingupper lever ear 180, thus causing the cam member to remain at itsintermediate position until the latch member is released from ear 180 bysolenoid 182. The solenoid, in turn, is connected to an appropriatepower source, not shown, through a normally open switch device 183(FIGS. 16 and 17) provided with a sensing finger 184 extending into thefilm gate to close the switch in response to the presence of film withinthe gate. Therefore, lever 174 remains in its lower position until thefilm has been fed into engagement with the projectors film advancingmechanism, whereupon latch member 181 is released from ear 180. Whenthis occurs, lever 1 74 is returned to its raised position by spring176, whereby the disengagement of earf180 from lip 178 again temporarilyengagesthe cam member to shaft 29 to restore the cam and clutch membersto the initial condition shown in FIG. 11 a;

Cam Member Cam member 156 comprises a cylindrical hub 185 concentricwith the bore of the cam member at one end thereof, and four differentlyprofiled cam lobes; namely, stripper finger lobe 186, reset lobe 187,roller and snubber lobe 188, and stripper belt lobe 189. The respectiveprofiles of these lobes are shown in FIG. 13 with the cam memberillustrated in its initial position, and it will be understood that thelobes remain at all times in the same angular relation to one another;reasons for the particular illustrated profiles of the diffei nt lobeswill be apparent from subsequent explanations of the functions performedby the cam, member. However, it should be noted that by changing thelobe profiles, the cam member could be adapted to b rotated through eachcomplete revolution in two successive angular movements of other'thanl20 and 240, such angles having been chosen somewhat arbitrarily toreduce the maximum torque required to rotate the cam member from thatwhich would be needed if 'the cam were rotated successively through morenearly equal angles.

Film Stripper The operation of stripper finger 27 is controlled by thecam control mechanism throughslide bar 191, which is supported at oneend by legs 192 and 193 slidably straddling cam hub 185, and at itsopposite end by an L-shaped ear 194 extending directions, as indicatedby the arrowhead of each such symbol,-

but such symbols do not necessarily indicate the positions or types ofsprings best adapted to produce the forces thereby illustrated).

A stripper belt control ever lever 199 is pivoted to the mechanism plateby pivot stud 201 and is provided with a cam follower ear 202 biasedtoward engagement with the stripper belt lobe 189 of the cam me'mber bya spring 203. At the end of lever 199 adjacent the cam member, the leveris provided with a slot 204. This slot receives the end of a stud 205,which is rigidly attached to the side plate of the stripper belt memberadjacent the mechanism plate and extends through the mechanism plate viaan arcuateslot shown in broken lines at 206 in FIG. 8. 7

When the cam member is in its initial position, slide bar 191 and lever199 are located as shown in FIG. 13 by the resilient engagement of theirrespective cam follower ears with the corresponding cam lobes therebymaintaining the stripper finger and the stripper belt member intheirinoperative positions as represented in solid lines in FIG. 8.

Upon manual depression of ear 26, the cam member revolves to itsintermediate position. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 14, slide bar 191effects movement of the stripper finger to its operative position as camfollower car 197 is maintained in contact with cam lobe 186 by'spring198. During such movement of the cam member, cam lobe 189 also presentsa has brought the stripper finger to its operative position and hasaligned notch 209 in the stripper arm with ear 207. Thus, since ear 207is no longer blocked, spring 203 can now pivot the slotted end of lever199 upwardly, to thereby rotate the stripper belt member about shaft 29and into resilient driving engagement with the film roll on thecartridge spool. By incorporating this feature, the present'inventiontherefore further assured proper functioning of the film strippingmechanism by avoiding film unwinding rotation of the film roll by thestripper belt until the stripper finger is operatively positioned inengagement with the roll.

Selector Slide Selector slide 215 is supported for vertical slidingmovement by stationary pins 216 extending through slots 217 in the slideand is biased upwardly by a relatively strong spring 218. As long a arm21 is.latched in its lower position to allow the projector toaccommodate film cartridges, the slide plate is also retained in itslower position, as shown in FIGS. 1114, against the influence of spring218, by the engagement of slide lip 219 by abutment finger 221 attachedto the movable arm 21. When arm 21 is raised, however, spring 218 movesthe selector slide upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 15, defined bythe engagement of pins 216 with the lower ends of slots 217.

As long as the selector slide is in its lower position, a notch 222 inthe slide is adapted to receive lip 195 of slide bar 191 as that barmoves to the position shown in FIG. 14 to operate .the film strippingmechanism. When the selector plate is raised as shown in FIG. 15,however, notch 222 is above the path of movement of lip 195.Therefore,'as the cam member rotates from its initial position to itsintermediate position, lip 195 encounters edge surface 223 of theselector slide, which blocks further movement of the stripper fingerfrom its inoperative position by preventing cam follower car 197 frombeing retained in contact with cam lobe 186 by spring 198. Additionally,since lever 199 cannot rotate about pivot stud 201 to move the stripperbelt member into operative position until arm 103 has pivotedsufficiently to align notch 209 with ear 207, which cannot occur as longas slide bar lip 195 is blocked by the selector slide, it is apparentthat the stripper belt member also remains in its inoperative position.

The position of the selector slide also determines the operativenessofguide roller 47 by allowing the roller to move from its inoperativeposition to its operative position only when the projector is in thereel mode of operation. This is accomplished by means analogous to thosejust described, as will be hereinafter explained in connection withdescribing the roller positioning elements of the control cam mechanism.

For reasons later explained, the projector is adapted to rewind filmthrough the film gate-only when loaded with a film cartridge. Therefore,still another function of the selector slide is to prevent theinitiation of the cartridge rewinding phase of the projector cycleexcept when arm 21 is positioned to accommodate a film supply cartridge.This function is per formed by providing the selector slide with alateral ear 224 extending beneath trigger lever 38. During the cartridgemode of operation, ear 224 is below the lowermost position of thetrigger lever defined by slot 151 in the mechanism plate, as shown inFIG. 13, and therefore has no effect on the operation of the trigger. Inthe reel mode of operation, however, the raised position of the selectorslide illustrated in FIG. 15 locates car 224 in overlapping relation tothe lower portion of slot 151 immediately below the trigger lever sothat the trigger can be depressed only by a force sufficient to overcome the heavy spring. 218 urging the selector slide upwardly. Since thefilm advancing mechanism is incapable of applying sufficient tension tothe film to produce such a force on the snubber member, the triggermember is thus rendered inoperable by the snubber member. Although thetrigger could still be released manually, such an operation could not beperformed accidentally due to the substantial resistance of spring 218.

Guide Roller Guide roller lever 133 is pivotallysupported by stud 134attached to the mechanism plate and isprovided with a cam follower ear227 extending upwardly from the base member 228 of the lever and urgedtoward engagement with cam lobe 188 by spring 229. When the cam memberis in its initial position, the engagement of ear 227 with lobe 188displaces lever 133 against the influence of spring 229, as shown inFIG. 13, whereby roller 47 at the top end of the lever is located at itsinoperative position depicted in solid lines in FIG. 8.

If selector slide 215 is in its lower position, i.e. during thecartridge mode of operation, a blocking car 230 on the selector slide isdisposed immediately above base member 228 of the lever, as illustratedin FIG. 13. Consequently, during rotation of the cam member, the rolleris maintained in its inoperative position by the engagement of the leverbase member with blocking ear 230, as shown in FIG. 14, whilethe'stripper finger and the stripper belt perform the film strippingoperation. Conversely, when the projector is adjusted to the reel modeof operation, the corresponding raised position of the selector slideremoves blocking ear 230 from the path of movement of base member 228,allowing cam follower car 227 to follow cam lobe 188 under the influenceof spring 229. Accordingly, the roller moves into resilient contact withthe stripper belt as the stripper belt member and the stripper fingerare retained in their respective inoperative positions by the selectorslide.

During either type of threading operation, it is of course essentialthat the film advancing mechanism be adjusted to its forward projectioncondition so that the film will be engaged by that mechanism and therebymoved away from rather than toward the supply roll. Therefore, aninterlock device is employed to prevent ear 26 from being depressedunless control lever 36 is in its raised (forwardlposition. Asillustrated in FIGS. 11, 16 and 20, this device comprises a cam slide231 slidably supported for vertical movement of studs 232. At its lowerend, the cam slide is bifurcated as shown at 233 to straddle theadjacent end of control lever 36 so that the vertical position of theslide plate corresponds to the position of the control lever. A blockingslide 234 is similarly supported for horizontal sliding movement bystuds 235 and is biased rearwardly by a light spring 236 to maintain therearward end by the blocking slide in contact with cam surface 237 alongthe adjacent edge of the cam slide. Accordingly, as long as controllever 36 is in its raised (forward) position, its blocking slide islocated as shown in solid lines in FIGS. 11 and 20, with its upwardlyextending leg 238 behind the path of movementof car 26. Upon movement ofcontrol lever 36 to its lower (reverse) position, however, thecorresponding movement of the cam slide brings the sloped upper portionof cam surface 237 into engagement with the blocking slide, therebycamming the latter slide forwardly to position leg 238 directly belowcar 26 as shown in broken lines in FIGS. 11 and 20. Consequently, itwill be apparent that leg 238 prevents downward movement of the car solong as the projector is adjusted for reverse projection, thuspositively eliminating the employment of the thread ing mechanism untillever 36 is returned to its raised position.

Snubber As previously described, snubber member 32 is pivotable i 7which is pivotally mounted on stud 134 and provided with cam followercar 240 aligned with cam lobe 188. A relatively strong spring 241 biasesthe rearwardly projecting arm 242 of lever 239 in an upward direction,thereby maintaining cam follower ear 240 in constant engagement with camlobe 188.

When the cam member is in its initial position, arm 242 is depressedagainst the resistance of spring 241 to the location shown in FIG. 13.In this position, the arm is vertically aligned with pin 148 extendingfromthe snubber member through the mechanism plate, but is below thelowermost position of that pin as shown in broken lines in FIGS. 8 and13. Consequently, the snubber blocking lever in noway influences themovement of the snubber member is rotated to its intermediate position,however, arm 242 is raised into engagement with pin 148 as shown inFIGS. 14 and 15, thereby resiliently biasing the snubber member againstfilm guide member 31 under the combined forces of the relatively weakleaf spring 35 and the substantially stronger spring 241.

Reset Lever As will b e described below indetail, the depression oftrigger lever 38 releases a latched spring loaded mechanism to initiatethe cartridge rewinding phase of the projectors operating cycle.Therefore, still another function performed by the cam member is toreset that mechanism during the subsequent film stripping operation inpreparation for another operating cycle. I

To perform this resetting operation, reset lever 243 is centrallysupported for pivotal movement by the upper selector slide support pin216, with the forwardly extending leg 244 of the lever located directlyabove cam lobe 187. The rearwardly extending leg 245 of the same leverprojects above the adjacent end of the cocking arm 246-illustrated indetail in FIGS. 16l8 and shown in cross section in FIGS. l3-15.

For purposes of understanding the operation of the reset lever, it willbe understood that the end of the cocking arm below the reset lever isresiliently biased to the position shown in cross section in FIGS. 11and 13; and that the spring loaded mechanism is reset by depressing thelever to the position shown in cross section in FIGS. 14 and 15 and thenallowing it to return to its former raised position. Accordingly, as thecam member rotates from its initial position to its intermediateposition, the periphery of cam lobe 187 causes the rearwardly extendingleg 245 of the reset lever to move downwardly with sufficient force todepress the cocking arm. Thereupon, as the cam member continues torotatethrough the remainder of a single revolution, the radius of cam'lobe 187 engaged by leg 244 decreases, allowing the reset lever to berestored to the position shown in FIG. 13. During the projection of thefilm on a film supply reel, the spring loaded mechanism cannot bereleased due to the fact that the trigger member is automaticallydisabled by the selector slide. Therefore, since the spring loadedmechanism remains cocked, the subsequent downward and upward movement ofthe reset lever serves no useful purpose, but need not be preventedinasmuch as it cannot interfere with the operation of the projector.

FILM GATE ASSEMBLY Gate and Film Advancing Structure The film gateassembly of the subject projector is depicted by FIGS. 16 -20, withvarious elements of the assembly having been omitted in different FIGS.for purposes of clarity.

rearwardly sloped film guide lip 254. A movable gate member 255 includesa channel portion 256 extending downwardly from a forwardly sloped filmguide lip 257 and adapted to mate loosely within channel structure 253to define a vertical film passageway sown shown at 258 in FIG. 17.Except during the cartridge rewinding operation, the film within thispassageway is resiliently sandwiched between the surfaces of the gatemembers adjacent t'hereto under the influence of springs 259, which biasthe movable gate member in a rear ward direction. As illustrated'inFlG.20, the film gate is positioned with diverging film guide lips 254 and257 located directly below the lower end'of the guide channel definedbetween film guide member 31 and snubber member 32, so that the leadingend of the film emerging from that channel during the filmthreadingoperation is guided into passageway 258 between the gate members.Similarly, the open throat portion 260 of lower film guide member 261 islocated directly below film passageway 258 to receive the end of thefilm as it emerges from the gate, thereby causing the film to be furtherguided into throat 262 of channel member 34, through which it isdelivered to the hub of the takeup reel. As shown at 263, a snubber shoeis adapted to resiliently engage the film along the adjacent curvedportionof lower guide member 261; the principal function of thisshoe-being to control the film tension between the gate and the takeupreel during reverse projection of the film.

In FIG. 16, it can be seen that a projection aperture 265 is provided inthe movable gate member along the film passageway and merges intovertical claw receiving slots 266, extending above and below theaperture. Corresponding aligned openings, notshown, are of course alsoprovided in the stationary gate member,thereby defining a filmprojection location along the axis of the projectors optical systemrepresent d by projection lamp 267 and lens 268.

The film advancing mechanism of the projector is generally similar tothe one described in commonly assigned pending Pat. application Ser. No.648,282, entitled Film Pull Down and Control Mechanism For a MotionPicture Projector, filed in the name ofThomas G. Kirr on 23 Jun. 1967,now US. Pat. No. 3,463,372. In this mechanism, a claw plate 271 ismounted to support plate 252 between ball bearings shown at 272, whichprovide for vertically oriented up and down movement of the claw platewhile also defining a vertical pivot axis about which film claws 273 canmove into or out of the claw receiving slots in the gate members. Behindthe claw plate, rotary shutter blade 274 and cam member 275 are attachedto shaft 276 of drive motor 277, which constantly rotates in acounterclockwise direction. A cam follower roller 278 projectsrearwardly from the claw plate and is urged downwardly into contact withthe peripheral cam surface 279 of the cam member by a spring 281,whereby that cam surface imparts predetermined vertical movement to theclaw plate. The face of the cam member is provided with two concentriccam surfaces 282 and 283, of different configurations. A cam followerpin 284, slidably supported by bushing 285 in control lever 36 isadapted to be aligned selectively with either of the two cam surfaces bymoving the externally accessible end of the control lever shown in FIGS.1 and 3 to either its raised or its lower position, thereby pivoting theleverabout stationary pivot stud 286. The flat rearwardly facing surfaceof the claw plate adjacent the front end of the cam follower pin isrocked rearwardly into resilient contact with the pin by spring 287.Accordingly, the rotation of the cam member causes claws 273 to moveboth vertically and into and out of engagement with the perforations inthe film within the gate passageway. By virtue of the configurations andphase relationships of cam surfaces 279, 2-82 and 283, movement of thecontrol lever to its raised position causes the film to be advanceddownwardly through the gate for normal projection, whereas moving thelever to its lower position causes the film to be displayed in reverseas it is moved upwardly through the-gate by the claws. The pendingpatent application just referred to also discloses means for enablingthis type of film advancing mechanism to be adjusted to afstill"projection condition in which a single film frame

1. A stripping mechanism adapted to cooperate with a supply roll ofwound strip material rotatably supported adjacent said mechanism toseparate a leading end of said material from said supply roll, saidmechanism comprising: a. a drive member; b. means supporting said drivemember for displacement from
 1. a first position in which said drivemember is disengaged from said roll, to
 2. a second position in whichsaid drive member is engaged with said roll to impart unwinding rotationthereto; c. a stripper member; d. means supporting said stripper memberfor movement from
 1. a first location out of engagement with said roll,to
 2. a second location in engagement with the outermost convolution ofsaid strip material on said roll; and e. means operative forsequentially
 1. first moving said stripper member from said firstlocation to said second location, and
 2. thereafter moving said drivemember from said first position to said second position while saidstripper member remains in said second location.
 2. a second positioncorresponding to the second position of said finger member; b. a pivotmember attached to said lever member in spaced relation to said pivotaxis for pivotally supporting said finger member on said lever member;and c. cam means adapted to adjust the angular relationship between saidfinger member and said lever member during movement of said lever memberto establish a predetermined movement path of the tooth portion of saidfinger member during corresponding movement of said finger member.
 2. Astripping mechanism adapted to separate from a rotatable supply roll aleading end of a strip of web material wound thereon, said mechanismincluding a finger member movable between a first position remote fromsaid roll and a second position in which a tooth portion of said fingermember is engaged with the periphery of said roll, said strippingmechanism comprising: a. a lever member pivotally movable about a fixedpivot axis between:
 2. thereafter moving said drive member from saidfirst position to said second position while said stripper memberremains in said second location.
 2. a second location in engagement withthe outermost convolution of said strip material on said roll; and e.means operative for sequentially
 2. a second position in which saiddrive member is engaged with said roll to impart unwinding rotationthereto; c. a stripper member; d. means supporting said stripper memberfor movement from
 3. A stripping mechanism according to claim 2 in whichsaid cam means comprises: a. stationary cam member defining a camsurface; b. a cam follower member supported by and immovable relative tosaid finger member; and c. resilient means biasing said finger member ina predetermined rotational direction about said pivot member to urgesaid cam follower member into resilient engagement with said stationarycam member.